The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan arrived in Mauritius on Wednesday afternoon as the Chief Guest of the Mauritian Government at the commemoration of the 189th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in Mauritius. President Ramkalawan was welcomed at the Sir Seewoosagur  Ramgoolam International Airport by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, and other high dignitaries in the Mauritian Government.

Following his arrival, President Ramkalawan paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic of Mauritius, H.E Mr. Pritvirajsingh Roopun, GCSK, at State House, Le Réduit.

« I am honoured to be present here in Mauritius for the commemoration of the 189th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Mauritius. The warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to my delegation and I since our arrival in Mauritius is deeply appreciated. Seychelles and Mauritius enjoys a strong bond of friendship and cooperation that is deeply rooted in our shared history and heritage, similar challenges and our close proximity as sister islands.”

President Roopun, welcomed President Ramkalawan to Mauritius and expressed his heartfelt appreciation for him having accepted their invitation to commemorate such a landmark event in the history of their nation. He also conveyed his congratulations to Seychelles for having moved up three places on the recently announced 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, stating that as a fellow African Island nation they share the pride of seeing islands of the region performing extremely well.

On his part, President Ramkalawan took the opportunity to personally convey Seychelles’ appreciation for the financial support extended to Seychelles during its time of need, following the incidents of 7th December 2023.

The two Heads of State also discussed other key areas of cooperation whilst highlighting the strong bonds of friendship that exist between the two peoples.

Leaving the State House, Le Réduit, President Ramkalawan also held discussions with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth where both leaders took the opportunity to identify possible areas of shared interest and best practices upon which both Seychelles and Mauritius could benefit. 

"Excellency, my Government and I deeply appreciate and value the excellent cooperation between our two countries. To that end, I wish to affirm our dedication to working closely with you and your Government to maintain this exceptional partnership and solidarity and to explore new areas in our cooperation," said President Ramkalawan.